The Heir
by starmini
Summary: Lucy never wanted to be the Crown Princess of Etolia, a kingdom rich in resources and magic. However, before Lucy's 17th birthday, her parents grant her one year to find a new heir from one of the six noble families. Yet, her hunt for the new heir will lead her to discover hidden truths that will make her question whether or not she can leave her life as a princess behind.
1. Chapter 1

"Father, I must speak with you," Lucy Heartfilia, Crown Princess of Etolia declared as she threw open the doors to the massive throne room where her father, King Jude Heartfilia was holding court.

"Lucy?" The king looked up from the harvest reports his advisor had just handed him, momentarily shocked by his daughter's sudden appearance. He took in her furrowed brow, brisk gait, forward slant of her shoulders, and serious look in her eyes and knew exactly what she wanted to speak with him about. King Jude handed back the reports to his advisor and sighed heavily. "We will resume reviewing the reports in an hour. In the meantime, Leonard, meet with the engineers and start working on creating a more efficient irrigation system in the southern farmlands. The aquifer that was recently discovered near the fields could be the key to solving the drought issue in the area."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Leonard bowed, taking back the reports.

"You are all dismissed," Jude proclaimed, nodding as the other members of the court bowed and made their way to the exit. As they passed Lucy, each murmured their greetings and bowed respectfully to his daughter. Lucy didn't even acknowledge them, her eyes were still trained on the king. Jude sighed again in despair.

"Jacobi," the king called to another one of his advisors before the man exited the room. "Would you please fetch the Queen?" Even from across the room, King Jude could see Jacobi flick his eyes from Lucy to himself, giving him an understanding grin. "Quickly."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Jacobi replied before slipping through the doors.

"Father," Lucy began, but Jude raised his hand to cut her off.

"Lucy," he shook his head, "Let's wait until your mother arrives. Please."

To his relief, Lucy nodded. He could see her chewing on the inside of her cheek, as if his daughter had to force herself to keep from speaking. Luckily, neither Lucy nor Jude had to wait long. Moments later, Layla Heartfilia, Queen of Etolia entered the throne room. A wave of relief washed over Jude at the sight of his queen. Layla smiled at her husband and daughter, knowingly. The queen patted Lucy's cheek as she walked passed her daughter to take her seat next to her husband. Layla slipped her hand into his, and Jude felt the strength he needed to proceed. Straightening his posture, King Jude smiled down at his daughter and declared,

"The answer is no."

"But father, listen to me," Lucy protested.

"Your mother and I _have_ listened to you Lucy. We have had this debate a countless number of times. We have had this argument so many times, not only can I quote you, but I can quote you in my sleep. I know exactly what you are going to say and my answer still remains: No. I will not allow you to give up your title."

"Mother, please," Lucy softened her eyes as she pleaded to her mother instead.

Layla smiled down at her daughter before she spoke. "Lucy, your father is right. You are our only child, making you the sole heir to the throne. Unfortunately, I cannot bear another child to take your place as heir," the queen paused briefly and Jude squeezed her hand gently. "As your parents, we want what is best for you. However, we are also the rulers of Etolia. We need to do what is best for our people as well. Robbing the kingdom of its heir would bring massive panic across the land. There are struggles our people worry about daily, having them worry about who will lead them should not be one of them."

"I know that, but…" Lucy chewed on the inside of her cheek again. This argument was not going the way she expected it to.

Lucy had gone through this argument again and again in her mind, flipping and twisting it in every angle that she could. There had to be a way out. There had to be a way she could express to her parents that she wasn't meant for this life. She wanted adventure, new sights, new people, new cities, every day. The routine and rigidness of court life suffocated her. Lucy loved her people dearly, but she knew she just couldn't do it. She didn't want to sacrifice her dreams for theirs when she never asked to be their princess in the first place.

"It's not like I'm trying to run away from my responsibilities. It's just, in my heart, I know I'm not meant to be a princess. I'm not meant to be queen," Lucy finished.

"So, your heart is telling you, you are meant to be a journalist instead?" Jude questioned.

"Jude," Layla cautioned.

"It's my dream!" Lucy defended. "As a princess, no one really shows you his true face. It's all spurious smiles and decorum. I want to see what's _real_. I want to go out and discover the truth about the world. I don't want to be stuck in here living this pretend life."

King Jude sighed through his nose, while rubbing his temple with his free hand. "Tomorrow is your 17th birthday and as you know, a year from then you will assume all official duties as Crown Princess when you turn 18. Your duties would entail that you attend all of my meetings, signings, ceremonial events, balls, etcetera. You would also be required to wed another of royal or noble birth and procure an heir of your own." Jude noted Lucy's cringe at his last statement. "When I die, you would be proclaimed Queen and shall reign until your own heir is of legal age to assume the throne."

Lucy could feel the weight of such a life pressing down on her. Her future grew darker and darker the more her father spoke. This role was something she was born into. If she had a say in that matter, she would have chosen anything other than this life. The fairy tales all glorified being a princess. Lucy never understood why. There was nothing special about having your life planned for you without a single say in anything.

"I don't want that life, father. Every day, a bit of me would die. I don't want to sound selfish. I don't want to sound like I don't care about this kingdom or our people; I just know that I'm not meant to be their queen. Our people deserve a ruler that can put her whole heart into the job, like you and mother do. Etolia deserves someone better than me," Lucy admitted.

"Your answer, my daughter, shows that you would indeed make an excellent queen," King Jude said, smiling as he shook his head. "A ruler must follow his...ahem...or her own heart." The king and queen shared a looked and nodded. "And your heart has spoken time and time and time and-"

"Dear," Layla chided, gently.

"Yes, you're right," Jude corrected. "Your mother and I...um, the Queen and myself have decided, Princess Lucy Heartfilia, after hearing your argument over and over and over and over-"

"What your father is trying to tell you," Layla cut in, "is that you are right, my dear. Though you have been trained from birth to become queen, training will only take a leader so far. Etolia deserves a ruler who can put her whole heart into leading the people. After much debate, we will allow you to live your dream-"

"REALLY!?" Lucy exclaimed. She couldn't believe it. The years of begging for this freedom had been worth it. She was no longer going to be a princess. Already, Lucy could feel the burden of her crown lifting off of her. Her future was hers to decide.

"Not so fast Lucy, let your mother finish," her father scolded.

"My apologies, mother." Lucy bowed slightly, biting on the inside of her cheek to keep quiet.

Layla just laughed softly before she continued. "We will allow you to live your dream, only if you can find a replacement heir."

"A replacement heir?" Lucy had no idea what that meant.

"Yes." Jude nodded. "As your mother stated, this kingdom must have an heir. We cannot disrupt the line of succession. If you do not wish to retain your royal status and the duties it entails, then it is your responsibility to find a suitable replacement who does. Before your 18th birthday, you will need to bring forth a candidate that you can claim, without a doubt, would be a better ruler than yourself. The new heir will be tested and must demonstrate sound knowledge of Etolia, its people, and must show he or she possesses the heart for the role that you lack, Lucy."

"A year to find one person out of all of Etolia? How am I supposed to do that?" Lucy felt cheated. What her parents were asking was an impossible task. How was she to narrow the hundreds of thousands of people that claim Etolia as home down to one person?

"If you wish to prove that your heart has led you true, that you are not meant to be the heir, you will find who is meant to be," King Jude said.

"However," Layla added. "There are laws decreeing who can claim the throne. The new heir must be found among one of the six noble families in our kingdom."

Lucy stared at her parents, stunned. In her mind, she ran through the names of the members of the six noble families: _Dragneel, Cheney, Marvell, Strauss, Dreyar, and Lockser_. "If that's the case, I can already name my replacement now."

"No, dear," Layla chuckled, shaking her head. "You stated yourself, that as a princess no one shows you his true face. Would you really choose your people's next ruler based off of surface knowledge alone?"

"Oh," Lucy said, slightly ashamed that her own words were used against her. "How am I to figure out their true selves then? All the nobility know who I am. If I meet with them, they'll just treat me the same as always. I won't learn anything new."

"You won't be going as a princess," Jude clarified. The king snapped his fingers and a heart shaped amulet appeared, floating into his grasp.

Lucy gasped. Magic was not uncommon in Etolia. A large portion of the citizens could utilize various types of magic. Lucy, herself, was a proficient mage. What shocked her was the appearance of the amulet now dangling from her father's hand.

"The Heart of Deception," King Jude held up the amulet, "will grant you the ability to transform your features any way you wish. The illusion is not like transformation magic. It is an absolute deception, allowing the wielder to even transform his own magic. It cannot be detected by other mages or magical items. As you know, this is a very powerful magical item. If it falls into the wrong hands, there is no telling what might occur. That is why, it is the responsibility of the royal family to guard powerful magical items like this." The king flicked his hand and sent the amulet flying towards Lucy, watching as it landed in her hands. "In order to find the new heir, I will allow you to use this to ensure that you can investigate the nobility to discover the truth you seek."

Lucy stared down at the amulet in her hands. The small heart shaped stone looked like nothing special, but she had read tales of people using it to conquer entire countries. Such a vast power now rested in her hands.

"We trust you, Lucy," Layla assured her daughter, seeing Lucy's distressed expression. "And we know you will guard the Heart of Deception at all costs. However, we will provide you with help during your journey." Layla waved her hand, a moment later, a gold bracelet appeared on Lucy's wrist with twelve symbols inscribed in the metal.

"Your celestial spirits?" Lucy held up her wrist, shocked to see her mother's gold bracelet now dangling alongside her own silver bracelet.

"They will protect you and help you find the new heir," the queen explained. "Only the members of our family can see them, so you can use their abilities without fear of being discovered."

"If your identity is discovered by anyone, Lucy or if you cannot procure a suitable replacement, then you will remain the heir and assume the full duties of the Crown Princess of Etolia on your 18th birthday as tradition and law decrees," King Jude declared.

Lucy placed the Heart of Deception around her neck, feeling the stone settle against her skin. Her mother's bracelet clinked against her own as she moved, the sound helping to calm her nerves. This was it. This was the way out she had been seeking; the means to realize her dream. No matter what happened, Lucy was determined to succeed. She would find her replacement, the person meant to be the ruler, and free herself to live a life she decided for herself.

"Father. Mother." Lucy ran to her parents, throwing decorum aside. Jude and Layla Heartfilia stood and embraced their daughter. "Thank you. Thank you so much," Lucy cried in their arms.

* * *

Lucy stood outside the castle gates, watching as dawn shone on the morning of her 17th birthday. "One year to change my future," she whispered to the rising sun. Flipping the hood of her cloak up to hide her face, Lucy peered into a small glass marble. The marble glowed until images started emerging within it. A small, stone castle in the middle of lush green fields appeared. "Let's get the least likeliest of candidates out of the way first," Lucy muttered as she stared at Dragneel Castle. The princess didn't even look back at her home when she summoned her magic, commanding the marble to transport her to the location it contained. In a flash of light, Lucy Heartfilia, Crown Princess of Etolia disappeared, beginning her journey to find the one who would take her place and bear her title, the person who would become the new heir and set her free.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, yes, I know...this is a princess trope, BUT I couldn't resist. I'm weak for royalty, magic, and all that jazz. Anywho, I don't know really know how long this fic will be, or how frequently I'll update it. I guess that depends on reader feedback. If you like it and want to know more, I'll invest. If not, I'll snail pace update it. I'll never drop a fic, but months could go by before a chapter will get released if there's no one reading it.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! Also, tell me your guesses on who will be the next heir or if Lucy will keep her title! I already know which path I chose, so it won't influence me, but you can have bragging points if you guess it right.

Lastly, this piece was betaread by Fairytail5evaJCL. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**Day One:**

In the span of the time it took someone to take a breath and blink, Lucy had travelled across Etolia to the eastern part of the kingdom. Rolling green hills tumbled over one another, steadily flattening into a wide expanse of tall grass that splashed against the edge of a forest. On the highest hill, the old stones of Dragneel Castle protruded from the landscape, overseeing its lands as it had done since the formation of the kingdom.

The lords and ladies from Houses Dragneel, Marvell, and Cheney all shared the title of being the first among the nobility. With their help, House Heartfilia was able to wrestle the future lands of Etolia from chaos' grip, establishing the peaceful and prosperous kingdom that was known today. Shortly after the establishment of Etolia, Houses Dreyar, Lockser and Strauss were raised in order to thank the respective families for their endeavors in establishing the foundations of Etolia. Even though House Dragneel was one of the oldest families in Etolia, with all the prestige and pedigree well-aligned with the qualifications for the next heir, Lucy Heartfilia could not begin to imagine picking either of the two lords that now ruled the estate as her replacement.

The younger brother of House Dragneel, Lord Natsu Dragneel was at the very bottom of Princess Lucy's list of possible heir candidates. From her memories, Natsu was loud, obnoxious, rude and capricious. She was certain that her post-examination of his character would yield those same qualities to still be accurate. He was the same age as Lucy, but extremely wild and childish. The older brother, High Lord Zeref Dragneel was of an opposite disposition than his younger brother. At five years her senior, Zeref was quiet, well-mannered, and extremely intelligent. However, there was an air of mystery about him that left Lucy unsettled. Whenever he visited the palace, he walked about the grounds as if there was a crown placed on _his_ head. Call it her intuition, but Lucy was hesitant to name Zeref as the new heir. However, she hoped her time at Dragneel Castle would produce more solid reasons why he was unsuited for the crown besides her intuition.

Slipping the glass marble into a blue velvet bag filled with similar ones, Lucy drew the strings of the pouch together. She secured it among her other possessions she carried in a bag hanging from her shoulder and took a deep breath. Lucy allowed herself a moment to imagine what it would be like on the other side of the year, when she was no longer a princess and had her freedom. The world was so wide there was no end to the places she would go or the people she would meet. The Heart of Deception still hung from her throat, the heart shaped stone resting above her breasts. The princess was still amazed that her father had entrusted it to her. She touched the stone, and closed her eyes. _This is the key to my freedom_ , the princess thought as she dropped her hand away from the amulet and breathed out.

"Out of the way!"

Lucy had barely enough time to throw herself from the road, scraping her hands on small rocks as she landed. Six black mares galloped past her, pulling a beautiful ebony carriage adorned with gold embellishments in its wake. The carriage had shown no signs of slowing, and without the warning, Lucy was sure she would have been struck dead. Picking herself off the ground and beating the dirt off of her clothes, the princess tried to calm her beating heart.

It was only a moment, but Lucy recalled the insignia she had seen on the side of the carriage: two dragons facing one another, their talons locked, tails intertwined and heads tipped back to breathe twin streams of fire that crossed one another. The coat of arms of House Dragneel. Which meant, the carriage was carrying one or both of the two lords as it sped down the winding driveway that wrapped around the hill the castle was perched on.

 _Where are they going in such a hurry?_ Lucy wondered as she watched the speeding carriage disappear. _And so early too._

Noting the lack of her hood covering her head, Lucy quickly flipped it back up. The princess had yet to use the power of the Heart of Deception to transform herself, so she prayed that none of the lords had noted her.

 _Focus, Lucy,_ the princess chided herself. There was no time to get caught up in pointless fantasies. She would have time to revel in her imagination after she had appointed a new heir. To do that, she needed to be alert at all times. Outside of the palace walls, she had only herself to rely on. Her freedom was not going to come easily.

Wasting no time, Lucy felt for the power contained in the amulet. She needed to disguise herself before she encountered anymore people. Her father had indicated the Heart of Deception would grant whatever form the bearer desired. So, Lucy imagined that her long blonde locks now stopped just below her ears and were a pale orange color. She changed the hue of her eyes from brown to gray and reshaped them to be smaller and less rounded. Her voice became softer and carried a hint of an accent commonly found in the southern region. Finally, she altered her skin tone, lighting it a few shades and throwing a splash of freckles across her nose and down her arms. Unfamiliar with the power within the amulet, Lucy kept her alternations to a minimum. She knew the effects would disappear once she took off the amulet, but Lucy didn't want to go too wild with her guise on her first try.

Within moments of the visualization, she felt an unpleasant feeling, like her hair suddenly had a mind of its own and was shifting softly. Grabbing a lock of hair, Lucy held it up and noted the change in color and length. Satisfied that the Heart of Deception had worked, the princess tucked the amulet into her dress and shifted her bag on her shoulder before walking up the long driveway toward the castle.

It was still early morning by the time Lucy reached up and pounded the iron knocker against the massive wooden door of the castle. The sky was a pale blue and a gentle breeze blew, cooling Lucy down after her hike up the driveway. She had visited Dragneel Castle numerous times, but always arriving in a horse-drawn carriage. Walking up the hill on her own two feet and riding in a carriage with plush cushions were two vastly different things, she realized.

The cold stones offered another source of relief from the heat as Lucy leaned against them, waiting for the door to open. Flipping down her hood, she debated whether or not to knock again, when she heard one of the massive doors creak open. In the doorway stood an impeccably dressed butler, in a neatly pressed gray uniform. The shiny gold pin on the corner of his left lapel indicated that he was the estate's head butler. The man was tall, his gray hair combed and tied with a gray ribbon at the nape of his neck. He had exquisite blue eyes, but at the moment, they were glaring down at Lucy. The head butler sniffed in greeting. The action made his displeasure at her arrival even more apparent than his glare.

"You stupid girl," the man snapped. "Deliveries are to be dropped off at the staff's entrance around the back. Now, go round before the young master sees you."

The shock of being spoken to with such harshness quickly vanished as Lucy realized her mistake. She had always been received at the front door. It hadn't even occurred her to use the staff's entrance. Her mind scrambled to offer an excuse in order to rectify the situation.

"Uh...a-apologies, sir," Lucy stammered out. "I was instructed by...by Natsu to use the front entrance. I was told there was a maid's position available at this residence." Lucy gave the head butler one of her most charming smiles, believing she had smoothed over her first mistake. However, her smile faltered when the head butler began turning shades of red.

"What insolence!" the man bellowed. "How dare you address the young master so informally. Leave this estate at once or I'll have you escorted out in chains."

The princess blanched. Disguised as a commoner, Lucy was not allowed to address Natsu without his title, and especially not by his first name. She didn't know if she would be able to smooth this mistake over.

"I—I didn't mean any disrespect," Lucy tried, but the butler was not willing to hear any excuse she was about to give.

"You still persist with this insolent behavior!"

Lucy flinched as the head butler raised his gloved hand to strike.

"Mortimer!"

The princess blinked when the younger Dragneel brother appeared behind his head butler. Natsu gripped Mortimer's wrist, stopping him from delivering the blow.

"Explain yourself." Natsu let go of the butler's wrist, crossing his arms against his chest. "You weren't about to strike her, now were you?"

"Young master," Mortimer bowed. "Forgive me that you had to witness that. However, I was merely disciplining the girl for her rudeness towards you my lord."

"Rudeness?" Natsu arched his brow as he shifted his gaze towards Lucy who hastily glanced away. She had done it now. Mortimer would tell Natsu her lie and she would be kicked off the premises. It was her first day and she had already royally screwed things up.

"I see," Natsu nodded, after hearing Mortimer's explanation, still looking at Lucy.

"Do not trouble yourself further on this matter, young master. I will personally see this girl off the estate and make sure she never shows up here again," Mortimer said, reaching for Lucy.

"Why would you do that?"

Mortimer paused. "Pardon, my lord?"

"She's obviously telling the truth. I offered her a position here when I went to town the other day." Natsu stepped from behind the butler and crossed the threshold. He approached Lucy and all she could do was stare. Natsu reached out and took her bag from her and handed it to Mortimer. "Please, see to it that she settles in nicely and assign her her duties. I'm going for my morning ride, but I'll check in on her soon."

The young lord winked as he past Lucy and headed, she assumed, to the stables. Mortimer stared after Natsu, as much in shock with his actions as Lucy was.

 _He...he covered for me_. The wild boy she knew as a child was actually...kind? Lucy shook her head. That couldn't be right. Furrowing her brow as she stared after him, the princess decided that his kindness had just been a fluke. Most likely some little joke he was having at her expense.

Mortimer recovered first, clicking the heels of his polished shoes together as he straightened his posture. He cleared his throat and held Lucy's bag away from him as if her possessions disgusted him. "This way," the head butler gruffed out, turning on his heel to enter the castle. Lucy hurried after him, trying to suppress the smile on her lips. Her infiltration of Dragneel Castle had begun.

The interior of the castle had not changed since Lucy's last visit to the estate, years ago. It was smartly furnished with fine woven rugs, thick velvet drapes lining the walls, plush furniture, and other ornamentations that displayed the Dragneel's wealth and status. Mortimer led Lucy past all these things, ushering her down a hidden hallway. The hallway was stark and barren compared to the areas of the castle she was accustomed to visiting. She realized this was probably one of the staff passages.

The head butler stopped in front of a small wooden door at the end of the hall. He fished out a ring of keys from his pocket. Selecting one, he removed it from the ring and fitted it into the door.

"This will be your quarters during your employment on the estate. Inside, you will find your uniform. Quickly change and meet me in the East Tower. You have five minutes." Mortimer dropped the key in Lucy's hand and handed her her bag before striding down the hallway once more.

Stepping inside of the room, Lucy looked around the cramped space. She was surprised this could pass as a bedroom. It felt like the inside of a cupboard. There was a small wooden bed with a thin blanket covering the mattress crammed into one corner. A desk was shoved under the room's only window next to the bed. Immediately to her right was a trunk to store her few possession that took up another corner. Finally, along the wall opposite of the bed was a door that led to an even smaller room. Inside was a toilet, a washbasin for bathing, and a small shard of a mirror mounted to the wall.

The room wouldn't have even be called a closet back in the Heartfilia palace. Lucy opened the trunk and set her bag inside. Hovering her hand over the lock, she cast a security spell over it. It was going to take some time getting use to her new predicament, but the princess was determined to survive the year in order to obtain her freedom. She just thanked the stars that she wasn't claustrophobic.

Spying her uniform on the bed, she stripped herself of her travel clothes, draping them over the chair of her desk. She wanted to take a bath and wipe the sweat from her early morning hike off her body, but Mortimer had only given her five minutes to change and meet him in the East Tower. Definitely not enough time for a bath.

With a grimace, the princess dressed herself in the gray cotton dress. The sleeves were long, thankfully allowing her to hide her bracelets. She managed to shimmy her legs into the black tights and slide into the black shiny shoes. A white apron was the last piece of the uniform which she tied around her waist

Sparing a moment to peek at the mirror in her washroom, Lucy was amazed at what she saw. The exact image she had imagined herself to transform into stared back at her. The girl looked like a simple commoner and nothing like a princess. Lucy grinned at the thought as she tucked the Heart of Deception into the high neck of her dress. _The perfect deception, indeed._

Lucy knew where the East Tower was located, but she didn't know _where_ in the tower Mortimer had wanted her to meet him. The tower consisted of five levels and after searching the bottom four levels, there was only one other place he could be. By the time Lucy found Mortimer again, she was clearly late. As she ran up the final set of stairs to the highest level of the tower, Mortimer's disapproving frown was there to greet her.

"You're late," he barked at her as Lucy tried to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry. But you didn't tell me where—"

"There are no excuses for tardiness."

Lucy bit back her response. It seemed no matter what she said, Mortimer was determined to rebuke her. She tucked back a lock of hair behind her ear, a habit she had developed whenever she was frustrated. The head butler gave her a disapproving sniff, before swiveling on his heel, striding down the loan corridor without so much as a word. Lucy blinked and realized she was meant to follow. She scurried after him, not wanting to give him an excuse to reprimand her again.

With his back toward her, Mortimer began to speak. "Even though the young master validated your preposterous story, you still dare to arrive without an official resume. By your lack of manners and your insensitivity to time management, I will assume you have no formal training nor experience working on a noble's estate."

"Er...well...I—"

"That was not a question." The head butler stopped in front of the only set of doors on the fifth level. Lucy had never been this high up in the East Tower before. She had no idea what was up here, but she could tell by Mortimer's smug look, she wasn't going to like it.

"With your lack of suitable qualifications and any redeeming characteristics." Lucy forced herself not to glare at the butler, but his insults were grating on her nerves. She folded her hands behind her back and squeezed them together instead. "You will have to undergo an evaluation."

"An evaluation?" Lucy furrowed her brow, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Yes, an evaluation," Mortimer's eyes sparked with a wicked gleam as he said the word, "So that I might access any skills that I doubt you possess. As head butler, it is one of my duties to insure that all staff members are performing at standards that are representative of their status as employees of the Dragneel estate. Let me assure you, miss, that these standards are exceptionally high. If you cannot maintain these standards, then I have it within my power to terminate your employment immediately."

Mortimer unlocked the door behind him and ushered Lucy inside. He flipped the switch, illuminating a giant storage room packed with...well, Lucy couldn't quite tell. It seemed like a giant assortment of random things all crammed into one space. There was sporting equipment, clothes, music instruments, books, scrolls, magical items, pots and pans, weights, food and so many other things. It was hard to make sense of it all.

"This," Mortimer held out his hand at the chaos behind him. "Is Lord Natsu's quarters."

Lucy's eyes bulged out of her head. _What?!_ There was no way the room in front of her could be someone's bedroom. She couldn't even see the bed! Someone really lived like this?

"Your task will be to clean the young master's room by sundown. None of the other staff members are allowed to assist you. If you do not complete the task in the allotted time, your position at Dragneel Castle will be terminated. I have left you supplies there," Mortimer pointed to a pile of cleaning products by the door, "you should not require anything else. I will return at sundown to assess your progress. That is," the head butler paused giving Lucy another smug grin, "if you're still here. This evaluation has been known to weed out those with weak wills and lacking in ability."

Looking at the mountain of disarray in front of her, the princess couldn't even begin to believe she would be able to clean the entire space by sundown. How was one person supposed to tackle this mess? It was then that Lucy realized that that was the point. She wasn't meant to succeed. Mortimer had set her up. By giving her an impossible task, he was making sure she would fail so that he could turn her away. No doubt this was in retribution for Natsu siding with her earlier.

"If I finish by sundown, I pass the evaluation, correct?"

" _If,_ indeed, miss you somehow manage to complete the task, then yes. I will formalize your position as a staff member on the estate," Mortimer confirmed. "However, I suggest that you don't get your hopes up."

Even though she knew it was impossible, Lucy threw back her shoulders and gave Mortimer her most endearing smile. She wasn't going to let one stuffy butler get in her way of her freedom. "Looks like I'll see you at sundown then, sir."

Mortimer gave her his disapproving sniff before closing the door behind him, shutting Lucy inside among the chaos that awaited her. When she was sure she had heard the head butler's steps descend down the staircase, Lucy slid down the door and moaned.

"It's so not fair!" She whined, staring at the pile of junk in front of her. "How am I supposed to clean all of this before sundown?" Her silver bracelet began to shine, a silver door materialized in the room. A flash of light appeared when the door opened and out came Plue, one of Lucy's celestial spirits. Plue was known as the canine spirit, but, in Lucy's opinion, he didn't look much like a dog. He was a short, white, bipedal creature with a gold horn for a nose. Even if he didn't look like a dog, Lucy did think he was absolutely adorable.

Plue scurried to Lucy's side and started tugging on her arm. "Sorry, Plue. I don't feel like playing right now. I'm properly wallowing in my despair." The spirit shook his head, tugging at her sleeve again. "What are you trying to say?" Lucy looked down and saw that Plue was tugging the sleeve of her dress up, pointing at the gold bracelet on her wrist.

"Plue, you're a genius!" She gathered the tiny spirit into her arms, hugging him tightly. Lucy set Plue down and the spirit waved goodbye as he disappeared with a flash of light. The princess looked down at the gold bracelet her mother gave her to help her on her mission. The bracelet was the key to unlocking the twelve zodiac gates belonging to the most powerful celestial spirits. With their help, this impossible task would definitely be achievable.

Standing with renewed energy, Lucy tugged up her sleeve and stretched out her arm. She felt for her magic, focusing on summoning the specific spirits she would need for the task. "I bear the key to the starry heavens. 88 stars of the firmament, I unlock the Golden Gate. By my command, step through the void and shine: Capricorn! Virgo! Taurus! Scorpio!"

Four gold doors materialized in the room and as they opened, a blinding gold light lit up the space. When the light disappeared, four of the twelve zodiac spirits stood in the room. Lucy beamed up at the spirits. She had known them ever since she was little. They were a few of her dearest friends.

"Everyone, I need your help!" Lucy said, tugging down her sleeve.

"Why should we help you?" Scorpio flicked his tail and looked away. "You're not our master."

"What?" Lucy wasn't expecting that greeting.

"She is pretty though!" Taurus drooled, as his eyes looked her up and down.

"She did summon us," Virgo pointed out. "Is she here to punish us?"

"Who _are_ you?" Capricorn adjusted his sunglasses.

"It's me!" Lucy exclaimed, confused why her friends were acting this way. "I'm Lucy. Why don't you remember me?"

"Princess Lucy?" Capricorn asked, peering at her harder. "I have known the princess since she was a baby. You look nothing like her."

 _Oh!_ Lucy realized she was still wearing the Heart of Deception and her disguise made it impossible for others to recognize herーcelestial spirits included. _But how come Plue was able to recognize me?_ Lucy shook her head as she reached for the amulet. _I'll work out the details later._ When Lucy lifted the amulet over her head, the deception rippled away.

"Princess Lucy!" Capricorn bowed. "Forgive me. I could not detect that it was you."

"It's okay." Lucy brushed Capricorn's apology aside as she pocketed the amulet. It wasn't necessary, considering she forgot about the amulet she had been wearing. _The Heart of Deception might work a little too well._ "Capricorn. Virgo. Taurus. Scorpio," Lucy addressed each of the four spirits she had summoned. "Please, I need your help. You all know just how badly I want my freedom. In order to find a new heir, I need to observe all of the nobility and select one as my replacement. In order to stay at Dragneel Castle, I need to pass an evaluation of sorts."

"How can we help you, princess?" Virgo asked.

"Well…you see." Lucy explained what Mortimer wanted her to do to her spirits. All four spirits turned around and viewed the mess behind them. Unlike her mother, Lucy couldn't summon all twelve of the zodiac spirits at once. Her magical capabilities were not that impressive. The max amount of spirits she could summon was six and that was pushing it. She chose Capricorn, Virgo, Scorpio, and Taurus because she believed their unique powers would be the most beneficial in this situation.

"Layla was never this cruel," Scorpio muttered, trying his best to comfort a weeping Taurus.

"Princess!" Virgo bowed to Lucy. "This is the worse punishment I've received in centuries. Thank you for this torture."

"Wait...what? This isn't—" Lucy was interrupted when Capricorn handed her a sealed manila envelope. "What is this Capricorn?"

"That is my will, Princess Lucy."

"Will? Celestial spirits can't die!" Lucy moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "Look, we only have until sundown to complete this evaluation. It just looks awful. Let's toughen up and get started. It won't be so bad if we all work together. You'll see!"

The princess tried to reassure her spirits, but the mayhem surrounding them was making it hard to make her words believable. Reluctantly, the spirits started to shift through the clutter. Lucy rolled up her sleeves and began working alongside them. Even though Mortimer gave her this task to deter her, he had unknowingly provided her with the perfect opportunity to start working toward her mission. Alone in Natsu's room, she could snoop through his belongings and discover his secrets. This was going to be a cinch.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to dip in the horizon as Lucy finally paused to wipe the sweat off her forehead. By some miracle, Lucy and her four spirits were able to complete the evaluation Mortimer had given her without a moment to spare. Capricorn, Virgo, Scorpio, and Taurus shimmered away, each with tears in their eyes. Lucy felt like crying too. Keeping four zodiac spirits summoned for an extended period of time had drained most of her magical power. All she wanted to do was soak in a hot bath, devour a warm meal, and rest in a soft bed.

The door to Natsu's bedroom began to open and Lucy hastily placed the Heart of Deception back on. She felt the image of the girl she thought of earlier that morning settle back over her. Thankfully, the amulet retained the last deception cast until she commanded it to create a new one. Lord Natsu appeared in the doorway. He took one look around and began to close the door.

"Sorry, wrong room."

"Wait!" Lucy called after him. "This is your room, Na—aaaa...er...Lord Natsu." It was difficult remembering that she had to pretend he was of a higher status than she was. She couldn't appear too familiar with him.

Natsu stepped back into the room, looking around in shock. "Wow! They're getting good at this." He crossed the room, inspecting his now spotless quarters. "Usually Mortimer orchestrates a whole team of maids to clean my room. It takes a good week to get it all done. I can't believe they did it one day!" The lord plopped onto the bed which had been buried under heavy weights Taurus had moved out of the way.

The anger building inside of Lucy was making her exhaustion burn away. _A team of maids? A whole week_? Lucy wanted to pummel the head butler for making her and her spirits go through that torture. Reining in her anger, Lucy managed a restrained smile as she curtsied.

"I cleaned your quarters myself, Lord Natsu."

"Seriously?" He dropped the book he was looking at in shock. Natsu had moved from the bed to stand in front of one of the many bookcases lining a wall of his room; although, they were more filled with trinkets than with books. "That's impressive!" He smiled at her, a big toothy grin that lit up his face. Lucy couldn't recall ever seeing him make that expression before. Ignoring the book he had dropped, Natsu continued examining the other areas of his room.

"What, are you stupid or something?" Lucy yelled, running to return the book to its proper place. Besides messing up all of her hard work, she couldn't stand when someone mistreated a book. The book slid back into place and Lucy turned back and caught Natsu staring at her.

"What did you just say?" He asked, setting down the blue rock he had been holding.

Then it dawned on her. She had just insulted one of the Dragneel lords. After all that work, her mouth was going to be the cause of her being kicked out and ruining her chance of obtaining her freedom. "I...I...uhh…" She tucked her hair back behind her ear, upset with herself for being so careless.

Natsu burst into laughter, shaking his head as he held his sides. Lucy blinked. Why was he laughing? That wasn't the response she was expecting.

"Sorry," Natsu said, as he tried to regain his composure. "The princess said the exact same thing to me before when I dropped one of her books." Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, cursing herself for another blunder. _Why would he remember that?_ An emotion flickered in Natsu's eyes that she couldn't quite ascertain when he spoke about her. Before Lucy had a chance to analyze it, Natsu gave her a brilliant smile that made her catch her breath.

"I'm sorry I messed up your hard work. I'm sort of a collector, though Mortimer calls me a pack rat. Anyway, I'll try to keep it in order."

"Th—Thank you, Lord Natsu. For this and for earlier." Lucy curtsied again.

The boy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Drop the 'Lord.' It's just Natsu. And don't mention it. It was no big deal." He waved her thanks away. "What's your name by the way?"

"L—Ashley." _Darn. Why did I just say my middle name?_

"Lashley?" Natsu cocked his head. "That's an interesting name."

"Uh, no. It's just Ashley, Lord Natsu."

"Impossible!" Lucy and Natsu turned and spotted Mortimer in the doorway. He looked around the room, wide-eyed and in shock. The princess couldn't help the smug grin tugging at her lips at the sight of the head butler.

 _You're not about to get rid of me just yet, Mortimer._ She thought before schooling her features into a more serene expression.

"Sir," Lucy addressed the butler. "I thoroughly cleaned Lord Natsu's room before sundown. I believe I have completed your evaluation." At the sound of her voice, Mortimer snapped out of his shock, regaining his composure. "I get to stay, right?"

"Evaluation?" Natsu looked from Lucy to Mortimer. "Since when is cleaning my room turned into an evaluation?"

"Well, you see, young master," Mortimer fidgeted. "The girl—"

"Ashley," Natsu corrected.

"Pardon, young master?"

"Her name is not 'girl'; it's Ashley."

Mortimer looked taken back by his lord's statement, but he quickly controlled his features. "My apologies," he muttered. "Miss Ashley provided no prior references, so I had to test her skills in order to see if she would be able to keep up with the estates standards."

"Ah, Mortimer," Natsu draped his arm around his head butler. "Relax. You're going to give Ashley the impression we're still living in the feudal era with all this talk of evaluations and standards. Besides," he swept his hand around the room. "She was able to clean all this by herself and in one day no less. I say she passed and with flying colors. Don't you agree?"

The look Mortimer shot Lucy just made Lucy smirk. The irritation etched in his features was satisfaction enough. She might regret it later, but after all the unnecessary treatment the head butler put her through, this small victory was worth it.

"Yes, young master." Mortimer politely removed himself from Natsu's embrace. "You are quite right. I will go prepare the necessary paperwork for Miss Ashley to sign in the morning."

The head butler bowed and swiftly exited the room, no doubt planning how best to repay Lucy for her unexpected triumph. Sighing in relief, the princess let her shoulders droop as her previous exhaustion settled back onto her sore bones.

"It looks like cleaning my room has made you tired. Take the rest of the night off. You deserve it with dealing with my mess." The young lord walked Lucy to the door. "I'll try not to mess things up in here." He laughed and Lucy surprised herself by chuckling softly with him. Since when did she laugh with Natsu? In the past, she was either screaming at him for something stupid he did or glowering in aggravation.

"Congrats on your new job and have a good night, Ashley."

"Good evening, L—" He gave her a look and she sighed. "Good night, Natsu."

* * *

When Lucy returned to her room, she firmly locked the door behind her before taking off the Heart of Deception. The image of Ashley faded away and Lucy's natural appearance returned. She placed the amulet on the desk and stripped out of her uniform. The bed practically sang to her, but the princess didn't want to go another minute without a bath. She filled the washbasin nearly to the brim from the spout sticking out in the wall that brought water to her room. The water was freezing, but she didn't have any magic to spare to heat it up. Quickly scrubbing her sore body with a bar of lavender soap, a luxury she had taken with her from the palace, Lucy cleansed her skin of the layers of dirt and sweat all her hard work had accumulated.

It was her first day and she had barely anything to show for it. Spending the entire day alone in Natsu's room with her spirits, Lucy believed she would have been able to discover something about the boy. However, she had been so focused on cleaning, it had completely slipped her mind to do any real investigating. Finding the new heir was going to be more difficult than she had originally believed.

Dressed in a cotton nightgown, Lucy plopped onto her bed, not even bothering to dry her hair. Snuggling with the pillow, she felt like she could sleep for a century. Her consciousness was already unraveling into dreams, when a knock at her door snapped her back to reality. Back at the palace, she would have ignored the visitor, letting one of the maids answer the door. However, now that she was a maid, there was no one to answer the door but herself.

Groggily, she slipped off the bed and shuffled to the door. After fumbling with the lock, Lucy swung the door open. "What do you want?" Leaning against the door frame, Lucy blinked sleepily up at her visitor. Her brain slowly realized it wasn't just any visitor, it was Natsu. _Crap!_

"Lord Natsu! Um... My apologies. Is there anything I might assist you with?" She rushed out. _Can I survive one day without trying to get myself fired? I just snapped at him...again!_

"L—Lucy?"

"Oh. I wouldn't expect you to remember, but my name's Ash—" Lucy froze. She whipped around and saw the Heart of Deception was still lying on the desk, exactly where she had left it. Dread descended upon her as the king's words echoed in her head:

" _If your identity is discovered by anyone, Lucy, or if you cannot procure a suitable replacement, then you will remain the heir and assume the full duties of the Crown Princess of Etolia on your 18th birthday as tradition and law decrees._ "

Lucy didn't think. She just moved. Whipping back around, Lucy glared at Natsu, before yanking him into her room, slamming the door shut.

* * *

A/N:

First, let me thank two amazing people who helped make this chapter so wonderful: PerchanceADream and Pondfrost! These two lovely betareaders do such amazing work. Thank you times a billion for the magic you both worked into this chapter. ;)

Second, writing stories that involve magic are so much fun! I enjoyed reading everyone's guesses about who the next heir will be. Feel free to keep guessing as we dive further into the story!

Finally, if you follow my story, A Promise You Just Can't Keep (APYJCK), the new chapter will be out shortly. Sorry for the wait. I'll explain when I upload it what took so long. Anyway, cheers and lots of love!


	3. Chapter 3

In under 24 hours, Lucy's quest for freedom was over. It took less than a minute for her seven year dream to be destroyed. Of all the ways her dream could have been crushed, she never thought it would be due to Natsu Dragneel, the born goofball of the nobility.

At the expense of further exhausting her already limited magic supply, Lucy quickly cast a security spell over the lock on the door. Casting the spell made a small tremor start in her legs, a sure sign of magic exhaustion. Magic was uniquely tied to a mage's health. Depleting one's magic caused a mage to undergo extreme physical exhaustion. It was akin to a track athlete exhausting herself after running marathons all day.

Different types of spells drained mages of their magic at varying rates, depending on how experienced the mage was. It was important to know the boundaries of one's magic, so as to not cast spells that would over-deplete it. Being aware of one's magical restrictions was one of the first lessons mages were taught. If a mage tried to use magic after exhausting her limits, there could be dangerous, if not, deadly consequences.

Magic naturally replenished within a mage, but it took time. A good night's rest normally restored magic reserves. There were potions available to help hasten the restoration process as well. Lucy cursed herself for not thinking to grab such potions before she left the palace. She had been too eager to start her journey, it had slipped her mind. Such an oversight was unfortunate and highly regrettable given the predicament Lucy now found herself in.

The princess leaned her back against the door for support, hiding how drained of magic she really was. Showing weakness in front of others was something Lucy was never comfortable doing, but concealing her magic deficiency was imperative at the moment. Revealing such a vulnerability in front of another mage was extremely perilous.

As she glared at Natsu, her mind raced, trying to think of what to do next. Her cover was blown and her mission had failed. Maybe, she could somehow talk her way out of this? Natsu wasn't the brightest out of the nobility. Maybe she could make up a reason that would be valid enough to explain her appearance here and why she had pretended to be Ashley to avoid his suspicions. It would be a fabrication, but it was her only option now. There was too much at jeopardy.

It was as she was deciding on this that Lucy looked over Natsu's shoulder and saw the Heart of Deception out in the open. All he would need to do was turn around and see that she currently possessed one of the most powerful magical items in all of Etolia. After keeping her spirits in her world all day, there was no way she could fight him if Natsu ever decided to steal it away from her; she barely had any strength left to stand. Though she doubted he would ever try anything as stupid as that, she needed to be cautious. With little magic power left and having already made one costly mistake, the princess knew there was no room for another.

 _How do I hide the amulet without him noticing?_ Lucy wondered. For the past minute, Natsu had been staring at Lucy in shock. When he noticed her attention was no longer on him but on something behind him, he slowly started to turn his head.

"Stop!" Lucy rushed him, but tripped over her wobbly legs. The pair crashed down to the floor in a mess of tangled limbs. Feeling the hard press of muscles against her cheek, Lucy quickly sat herself up. Heat rose to her cheeks and her heart fluttered in her chest.

The princess pressed her hands to her face. _I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought._ Breathing heavily through her nose, the princess tried to expel some of her frustration while tucking her hair behind her ear. _Why is everything going so disastrously wrong?_

"I knew it!" Natsu reached up and untuck the strand of hair from behind her ear. He shook his head in disbelief, smiling to himself as he held the lock between his thumb and pointer finger. "When we were little, you always tucked your hair behind your ear when you were frustrated at me. I was shocked when Ashley did the same thing."

 _Why does he remember such trivial things?_ Lucy looked down at him, perplexed.

"I never met a maid who acted so much like nobility too." Natsu chuckled. "The way Ashley commanded the space around her, how she walked, the look she got while staring at the book I dropped, all of it was so familiar. Her magical presence was different than yours; but it was like, she was you, but wasn't at the same time. I thought I was going crazy, but you really are Lucy!"

"And you're the fool that just muddled everything up," Lucy snapped, smacking his hand away.

Natsu arched a brow, smiling up at her with a devilish glint. "So, you're pretending to be a maid in this castle for a reason?" When Lucy didn't respond, Natsu smiled wider. "I see. I'll just contact the king and maybe he'll know why his heir is impersonating a commoner in one of the High Lord's houses."

"You would not dare!" She gasped, her eyes going wide.

"I would, unless you tell me what's going on."

The Heart of Deception was an amulet that allowed the bearer to maintain a complete deception. She knew it worked, because even her spirits had not recognized her. However, simple mistakes she hadn't known she was making had caused Natsu to be suspicious of her, making this powerful object null. It wasn't enough to just create a new image, to truly use the amulet, one needed to adopt a believable persona as well. All her life, Lucy had been raised as a royal. To throw away seventeen years of training and discipline overnight, it seemed impossible.

 _I was always meant to fail._ She bitterly thought.

The thought crashed through her. It wasn't Natsu's fault that she had been discovered. It was all her own. The one chance to make her dream come true, and she had already messed everything up. The realization caused her eyes to water up and before she could force them back, tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto Natsu's.

"Lucy?"

"I'm not crying," she said, while wiping furiously at her eyes. The rawness of her voice surprised her. To her, crying was a form of weakness, but it was like a floodgate had opened inside. Try as she might, Lucy couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"S-S-Sorry!" Natsu waved his hands in front of him, panicking at the sight of Lucy's tears. "I don't know what's going on but you're in trouble, aren't you?" When she didn't respond, Natsu frowned, reached up and grabbed both her hands. "I want to help you, so could you tell me what's making you so upset?"

Natsu's serious tone astonished her. Was he sincere? But that wasn't like the Natsu Lucy knew. To put it mildly, Natsu was always a wild child. He would tease her ruthlessly when they were younger. He did things that he knew would upset her and called her silly names. He had always caused problems, not fixed them. Did he actually want to help her?

"But you cannot possibly help me," Lucy sniffed, trying to gain control over her tears. "There's no hope."

"Oh." Natsu let go of her hands, crossing his arms against his chest as he glared up at her. "My mistake. You're not Lucy."

"What are you—"

"The Lucy I remember wouldn't give up so easily," he declared. "She's not a quitter."

"Quitter?!" Lucy gripped the folds of his shirt, her hands shaking at the amount of rage inside of her. "You don't understand! You don't understand a word of what you're talking about." How dare he. How dare he say that when he didn't know just how hard she had worked to get this chance and how easily it had slipped from her grasp because of him. Lucy didn't want to give up, but she had to now. Natsu had found out about her, breaking one of her father's rules. There was no magic that could turn back time and undo the damage. A miracle like that didn't exist.

"Then tell me!" Natsu shouted back, gripping her wrist firmly.

They held each other's gaze, both glaring at one another. Lucy eased her grip on his shirt, as she scoffed at him. "Very well, I'll explain what you speak about in ignorance. The damage is irreparable either way. Then, I'll have you recant your harsh remark."

"We'll see about that...but first," Natsu pointed his thumb to the side. "Do you mind getting off me?"

Looking down, Lucy noted she was still sitting on Natsu. A blush shot across her face as she scrambled off him, standing quickly. In her haste, she forgot about her magic exhaustion and the room spun as she moved, causing her to stumble.

"Are you okay?" Natsu offered an arm to help steady her, but Lucy waved him off.

"I'm quite alright." She hurried out, leaning against the wall. "I'm just a bit faint from missing supper that is all."

"You should have said something. Wait here."

Before she could protest, Natsu strode to the door. He waved his hand over the knob, dispelling Lucy's weak security spell and left. Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, hating how easily he had removed her magic. She really had overdone it today.

Taking advantage of his departure, Lucy opened the desk drawer and slid the Heart of Deception inside. Lucy thought about casting a lock spell, but thought better of it. She was already too weak and the spell wouldn't mean anything against a mage like Natsu. The members of the noble families were all gifted mages; Natsu was no exception. Despite his unruly personality, he was an accomplished mage. Lucy had to acknowledge his strength and couldn't underestimate him when it came to wielding magic.

Natsu returned shortly with a covered tray in hand. Lucy had moved to the bed, momentarily foregoing propriety for comfort. He set the tray and its contents in front of her before seating himself at the desk.

"Luckily, the chef is used to my late night excursions to the kitchen," Natsu explained as Lucy uncovered the tray, revealing the thermos, bowl of tomato soup, and plate of chicken sandwiches that were underneath.

Lucy picked up her spoon, dipping it into the tomato soup. "It's cold," Lucy said before she could remember her manners. She should be grateful for any food at this moment.

"Hold on," Natsu leaned over, touching the rim of the bowl with his finger to heat the soup until tendrils of smoke drifted up.

"Thank you," Lucy said, taking another bite of the now warmed soup, hoping Natsu wasn't secretly questioning why she hadn't heated the soup herself. It wasn't until she was halfway finished with her soup and reaching for a chicken sandwich did Lucy realize Natsu was staring at her. She set her spoon down, wiping her mouth as daintily as she could with her napkin.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat, trying to regain some dignity. "As I was saying, you don't understand—"

"Don't worry," Natsu interrupted, smiling as he crossed his arms behind his head. "You can tell me your story once you're done eating."

 _He must really think I'm a rogue,_ Lucy thought, embarrassed for forgetting herself. But, her still grumbling stomach didn't protest at the invitation to finish devouring the meal. With less ferocity, Lucy finished her soup and sandwiches, not leaving a single crumb behind. She could already feel more strength returning to her tired limbs.

"And the thermos," Natsu tilted his head toward the container.

She unscrewed the cap, taking a small sip of the beverage. The liquid buzzed on her tongue and sent a jolt of energy through her. Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what was inside.

 _A potion!_

"Make sure to drink it all. The chef brews some of the best tea and it would be a shame to waste it."

 _Tea?_ Lucy stared at Natsu and then at the thermos. She took a larger drink this time and felt more energy surge through her. The magic exhaustion eased from her body as the potion refilled her magic. This wasn't tea, but without a doubt a magic restoration potion. From the speed of her magic recovery, it was a high level potion too. Since Natsu was a mage, he had to know what he had given her. There was no way the two could be mistaken. So, why was he pretending like he had?

Lucy crossed her arms after she finished the thermos, straightening her posture like she was sitting on a throne instead of a lumpy bed mattress. The potion had restored all of her magic and she felt capable of handling anything now. Expelling a breath, Lucy fixed Natsu with a hard gaze and then recounted the agreement she had made with her parents. When she finished speaking, Lucy was pleased to see the shocked expression on Natsu's face.

"You don't want to be queen?" Natsu stared at her, blinking in disbelief. "It's weird to think that, all this time, you never wanted to be the ruler. You always seemed…" he scratched his head, "I don't know. Like the role just fit you." Natsu stopped scratching his head and stretched as he smiled wide at her. "Well, no matter what you want to do, you're still Lucy in the end."

"Were you not listening to me?" Lucy sighed, exasperated. "I'm going to be queen now, since you discovered me. I have to take up my role as heir."

"Oh Princess," Natsu shook his head at her as he leaned back in the chair, propping his head up with his hands behind his head. "You're not seeing things clearly. You can still find the replacement heir and all of that."

"Come again?" Her brow twitched in aggravation. Was he really that dense? "What part of if anyone discovers my identity I forfeit my freedom did you not understand?"

"Sure, sure," Natsu waved her words away, "But since it was me that doesn't count. I'm not going to tell anyone what you're up to. Matter of fact, you're in luck. I'm going to help you. I'll start by removing myself and Zeref from your list of candidates. There's no way I want to rule the kingdom. Being a noble is already a pain and wearing a crown would be an even bigger one." Natsu rolled his eyes at the idea. "See? I'm being helpful already."

"It wasn't like you were my first choice either…" Lucy admitted.

"You're flattering," Natsu deadpanned.

"Why are you removing your brother from the list?" Lucy asked, even though she had her reservations about the High Lord already.

Natsu looked away, a troubled expression on his face. He shook his head, as if deciding not to say something. "Just trust me on this one. My older brother wouldn't be...ideal."

She spoke sternly. "That's a decision I have to make for myself."

The young lord sighed, closing his eyes as he picked earwax from his ears. Lucy grimaced at his apathy toward his demeanor. "Well, you're wasting your time here then. Zeref left this morning and won't be back for awhile."

 _So it was him!_ Lucy kept her expression neutral as she catalogued that information. "Exactly, how long is awhile?"

Natsu shrugged, flicking whatever earwax he had gathered on his finger away. "He left in a hurry this morning and didn't tell me where he was going. Which is typical for him. Last time he did this, he was gone for six months."

"Six months!" Lucy almost fell out off the bed. "I can't stay here for six months. I need to visit all the eligible candidates within the year." The princess's original plan was to split the year among the six families, spending two months at each residence in order to make a fair assessment.

"Well, it would be best if we moved onto the next house then. I already took my name off the list and Zeref's not around. It's kind of pointless staying here. Plus, Mortimer would just devise more ways to make your life hell."

"You're right," she mumbled, thinking about the next house on her list, but suddenly went still as a word echoed in her head. "What do you mean ' _we_ '?"

Natsu stopped leaning in the chair, fixing Lucy with a toothy smile. "Of course I'm coming. This sounds like a fun adventure and I don't want to miss it."

"This isn't some grandiose adventure from a child's storybook," Lucy snapped. "This is about my future and the future of Etolia!"

"I get that," Natsu rolled his eyes again. "That's why you need someone to protect you," He insisted. "Like a knight."

Lucy scoffed, this time, she was the one to roll her eyes as she extended her arm out, flashing the two bracelets dangling from her delicate wrist. "I don't need your protection. My spirits are more than capable of supporting me."

"Your celestial spirit magic is powerful, but it's also extremely taxing on you. You used them to clean my room didn't you? That's why you could barely stand when I came in here."

 _He noticed!_ Lucy couldn't hide her shock.

"What if a similar situation occurs where you exhaust all your magic? You need someone there as back up." Lucy hated to admit it, but it seemed like Natsu did have a point. "Plus, you are horrible at blending in. Without me, you'll just blow your cover again."

"I will not!" Lucy protested. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"You may not openly reveal your identity, but you'll do other things that will make others question who you really are," he stated. "I mean, you even used your middle name as an alias." Natsu laughed, pointing out one of her many mistakes.

"Well, I—" Heat flushed Lucy's cheeks, embarrassed by such a stupid mistake.

"It's not only that, but you're whole demeanor makes you suspicious. Whatever magic you used, you can definitely fool the eye and hide your magical print, but your mannerisms don't match the role you're playing. You have this air about you which makes you stand out instead of being invisible." Before she could say anything to defend herself, Natsu continued on. "It's not a bad thing. It's who you are. It's not something you can hide."

"You're declaring a resolve to help me; but in the same breath, you're stating I'm hopeless." She frowned.

"No, not at all," Natsu frowned like she wasn't getting what he was saying at all. "Instead of trying to pretend to be someone you're not, why don't you be yourself? Even though you don't want to be a princess, you're pretty good at it."

"Be myself? I cannot reveal my identity that's why I chose to disguise myself as a maid. Otherwise, I would not be in this predicament."

"Wait." Natsu fixed her with a puzzled look. "Did you really believe the other nobles would show their true selves to a maid?"

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, I thought I would just...maybe...observe them from the shadows. Like a spy...or something..." From the novels Lucy had read, that was how the spies would always do it. Realizing the absurdity of her plan, Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Remembering how Natsu had pointed out her tick earlier, she hastily removed it.

"I know! You can pretend to be my cousin," Natsu suggested.

The burst of laughter that sprung from the princess could not be helped. Her plan to "spy" on the nobility as a maid in hopes of observing their true selves might have been silly, but Natsu's suggestion was purely ludicrous. "There are several points which make your suggestion ridiculous. One. All those of high society receive, to a degree, the same standard of education. Studying the six noble houses and the current members is a basic component of that education. Therefore, everyone would find it strange that, after all these years, your long lost cousin no one has ever of, suddenly appears."

"Those lessons were so boring. How could anyone stay awake long enough to learn anything? I'm getting tired just remembering them." Natsu yawned loudly, emphasizing his statement. "I could say you were my second cousin then?"

A small, red-orange flame suddenly appeared on Natsu's finger, causing Lucy to tense. The princess's reflexes had her reaching for her magic to summon one her spirits for defense, but the flame merely began to roll back and forth between his knuckles. The Dragneel family specialized in fire magic. Average mages could still cast fire based spells, but not even a high level mage could replicate the flames members of the Dragneel family could produce. The flames burned with an intensity rivaled by no other. As she watched the flame move across his unscathed skin, Lucy stared, slightly in awe of the spectacle. Besides the ferocity of the flames they could generate, members of House Dragneel, unlike other mages, were impervious to fire. They were the firebreathers, the flame eaters, the ones who walked through fire and feared no flame. Because of this trait, House Dragneel was known as one of the four dragons of Etolia.

Lucy shook her head, releasing her magic as she restrained herself from tucking her hair behind her ear. "Two. If High Lord Zeref discovers you are chaperoning a cousin he's never heard about, twice removed or otherwise, it would make him suspicious. You may have removed yourself from the candidacy, but your brother remains as a potential successor to my position. The point of my mission is to assess each candidate's character. I cannot do that if a candidate is constantly apprehensive and guarded toward me."

Natsu muttered something incoherent before looking away, seemingly annoyed by the thought of Zeref still being a choice. The flame flared and flickered rapidly; while it rolled faster across his moving knuckles, acting as a mirror to the young lord's silent thoughts. "I guess you're right though," he offered eventually. "I would have a hard time treating you as my cousin…" He sighed as he turned back to Lucy. His gaze flicked to the flame wildly dancing on his hand and in one swift movement, he snuffed it out. He stood and began to pace in front of her, his brow furrowed in thought. "There has to be a way for this to work."

"It won't work," Lucy said, running her fingers through her damp hair. She summoned a bit of her magic to evaporate the moisture from her wet locks. "You can't go about creating fake nobility."

"That's it!" Natsu stopped suddenly, eyes going wide as an idea began to form in his head.

"What is 'it'?" The princess eyed Natsu suspiciously.

"That's exactly what we need to do. We need to create a fake nobility!"

Lucy blinked at Natsu and wondered if the young lord actually understood what he was suggesting. If he did, that would be a tragic thing. Even a commoner would gawk at such a preposterous statement. If it was that easy to become a noble, all of Etolia would be made up of them. Before the princess could redirect Natsu's wild imagination, he continued on in an excited ramble.

"You're right. You can't pretend to be a part of any of the noble families in Etolia. It wouldn't make sense and would raise people's suspicions. However, what if you were a noble from another country—say New Ciel for instance. The kingdom is our closest neighbor but it's practically littered with nobility. They give out titles to nearly everyone I hear. It wouldn't be strange if you were a new noble no one's heard of yet. You would be my honored guest and to entertain you, I would take you on a tour of the kingdom. It would be quite rude of me not to introduce you to the other noble houses as well. It's the perfect disguise, cover story and method to completing your quest." Natsu beamed at Lucy, a smug expression on his face once he had finished.

"It still won't work." Lucy flipped her now dried locks away from her shoulder.

"What?" Natsu's face faltered. "But it covers everything."

The princess crossed her legs, settling her laced fingers on top of her knee as she addressed him. "You are forgetting one thing, Lord Natsu."

"What's that?" Natsu scratched his head.

"My final point," she smirked. "You're not coming."

"I'm definitely coming!" He protested. "There's always a knight who helps a princess on an adventure."

"You're a lord, not a knight."

"Technicalities."

"Besides," Lucy argued. "What noble family would send their daughter to a foreign country unchaperoned and as the guest of an unmarried noble bachelor no less? The impropriety of the arrangement alone would raise suspicion."

"You're a princess and the king and queen let you leave the palace unchaperoned," Natsu countered, easing back into his relaxed manner.

"I'm on a mission," Lucy shot back. "Plus, technically, I'm not unchaperoned. My spirits are accompanying me."

"Your spirits! Of course." Natsu snapped his fingers. "You can let one of them pretend to be your chaperone. Having one spirit out shouldn't completely drain you of magic, right?"

The princess huffed. "I'm not a novice mage. Of course I can handle that and much more. Normally, only the members of the Heartfilia family can see celestial spirits once they're summon to our world. However, if a celestial spirit wears clothes from this world, they can become visible to other humans. They just won't be able to use any of their abilities though..."

"Great! Then it's settled. One of your spirits will pass as your governess or butler or something, making it perfectly acceptable. You can't pass as a maid. That much is clear. But, you could definitely pass as a nobleman's daughter from New Ciel. Plus, with me supporting your claim, the other nobles wouldn't think twice about doubting who you are. You can't deny it's a great plan."

Lucy pondered Natsu's suggestion. It did seem plausible. "I'll admit...your proposal seems somewhat logical."

Natsu stood in front of her, extending his hand. "The king told you if someone found out about your identity then your mission is over. Well, I can walk out this door and pretend seeing you here was all a dream. I'll wake up tomorrow and greet my guest from New Ciel and take her and her chaperone on a tour of Etolia. What do you say?"

Lucy sighed, exasperated. "If you truly desire to help me, I need your discretion, Lord Natsu, not your assistance. The only way I might continue on my quest, is if I can trust that you'll keep this encounter and all that I have divulged a secret. If my father discovered my identity was revealed or that I disclosed the details of my mission to you, I would be forced to remain as his heir." Her eyes closed briefly, feeling the fear of living such a life creep up around her.

"You can trust me." Natsu's serious tone shook Lucy out of her thoughts. As he stood in front of her, his entire demeanor was solemn.

This change in disposition was unanticipated. The princess didn't know quite what to say as Natsu held her gaze. For a moment, the Natsu she had known was someone entirely different. He wasn't the immature boy from her youth, but a kindhearted man. Was his kindness from earlier, when she was disguised as Ashley, not so much a fluke as she had first believed? But when did this change happened?

"Why?" She asked him quietly, looking down at her laced fingers. "Why are you doing this?"

He tilted his head, seemingly confused by her question. "Doing what?"

"Helping me." Lucy wanted to give up her power and position, not cultivate it. Once she found her replacement, there was nothing she could offer him. Even if Natsu was the deceptive sort, he would have nothing to gain by helping her. It wasn't like they were even friends. As crown princess of Etolia, Lucy needed to have relations with the nobles, but they were purely political. They had associated with one another in the past because it was expected of them, not because of any affable desires.

"Because I want to. Do I have to have another reason?" He answered, showing her a toothy grin.

The princess stared up at the young lord, his hand still held out to her, offering the miracle she didn't think existed. How was it that the same person who destroyed her dream could be the same one to fix it? A small smile crept across her face.

 _Natsu's clumsy enough to achieve something so preposterous._

Though she was wary, Lucy stood and took Natsu's hand. Although bending her father's rules wasn't something she was entirely comfortable with, the princess wanted her freedom desperately enough and this was her last chance to achieve it. "The details of this charade need to be worked out to avoid any skepticism from the other lords and ladies." She let his hand go, her mind already racing with ideas. The gold bracelet began to glow as Lucy reached for her magic, preparing to summon the celestial spirits she would need to help actualize her budding plan. "If this pretense is to succeed, there cannot be any ambiguity to our claim. We will work through the night to ensure—"

The princess shuffled through the velvet bag she had just retrieved from the trunk when she noticed Natsu staring at her with a pleased expression on his face.

"Why are you looking so content with yourself for?" She asked, watching as he eased himself back into the chair, crossing his arms behind his head once more.

"You said 'we'," he pointed out, still looking smug.

"Well, th-that's because...what I meant was…" Lucy stammered, her face blushing. "Aquarius!"

A bright gold door appeared in the room, momentarily bathing the room in a golden splendor. The light faded and the water bearer stood before Lucy. Already knowing her master's intentions, Aquarius floated above Natsu, and poured her pitcher onto him. The drenched lord sputtered, falling out of his chair. Aquarius winked at Lucy before shimmering back to her world.

Steam curled up from Natsu's soaked self as he glared up at her. "Come now Lord Natsu, don't leer. Aquarius was just ensuring you were awake." With a snap of his fingers, Natsu evaporated the water on and around him as he muttered incoherently. Now, it was the princess's turn to stare at him smugly. "After all, there's so little starlight and there's much still to do."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
Beta readers are the best, especially mine! Thank you to PerchanceADream and IrritatingLove for looking over this chapter to me. A special thank you goes to IrritatingLove for inspiring me to push further with this chapter. As a result, it's even better than when I first wrote it. I can't thank you both enough! I'm so spoiled.  
This chapter has been sitting in my drive for quite some time now. Thank you all for being patient with me! I hope you all think it's worth the wait. I really enjoyed writing this. It's so much fun writing about magic! Hopefully, it won't take so long for me to write the next chapter. It's pretty much outlined but...the next two months are so crazy! I'll be signing a lease, moving to a new state, and settling into my new life. I'll definitely be writing, throughout all the crazy changes, but in stolen moments of peace which might be few. Anywho, please tell me your thoughts about the latest chapter update. I always love reading all of your comments. Until next time, much love!


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